G.—4

29

Acres. Tauranga Block, original area ... ... ... ■■• •■• 51,000 Deducted and included in Paharnkeke Block ... ... ... 11,680 Balance of Tauranga Block now remaining ... 39,320 Paraoanui Block, original area (divided, into Paraoanui North Block, 3,400 acres; and Paraoanui South Block, 5,510 acres) ... 8,910 Paraeroa Block, original area ... ... ... ■■• ■•■ 13,416 Deducted therefrom, Paraeroa B Block, 410 acres; and Pukepohatu Block, 2,740 acres ... ... ... ... ■■• ■'■■ 3,150 Balance of Paraeroa Block now remaining ... ... 10,266 Ruatahuna Block, original area ... ... ••• •■• 63,230 Deducted and added to Waikaremoana Block ... ... • • 5,407 Balance of Ruatahuna Block now remaining ... . . 57,823 Otairi Block, original area ... ... ... ■■• ■•- 8,650 Deducted and added to Te Whaiti Block ... ... ... •-, 1,740 Balance of Otairi Block now remaining ... .. 6,910 Te Whaiti Block, original area (less Tawhiuau) ... ... ... 69,600 Area added from Otairi Block ... ... ... ••■ ■■■ 1> 740 Present area of Te Whaiti Block ... ... ... 71,340 Tawhiuau Block, original area on plan ... ... ... •■■ 3,370 Area per latest computation, 3,383 acres (add) ... ... ... 13 Area added from Hikurangi-Horomanga Block ... ... ... 1,681 Present area of Tawhiuau Block ... ... ... 5,064 The areas of all the other blocks of land contained within the Urewera District Native Reserve, but not mentioned in the foregoing schedule, to remain unaltered and as stated in the orders of the previous Commission.

We would here point out that in our opinion the relative shares of the owners in all the blocks contained within the Urewera District Native Reserve have been inadvisedly apportioned, and are not in accordance with Native custom, the basis of apportionment adopted by the previous Commission having been at the rate of twenty shares each for heads of families, ten shares each for children, five shares each for grandchildren, and three shares each for great-grandchildren respectively; and in instances where the head of a family had died, leaving a family of, say, from six to ten or even more children, each such child received an interest of twenty shares. We will, by way of illustration, suppose a case of three brothers receiving interests of twenty shares each, the elder brother having no children, but his two younger brothers having large families of children receiving ten shares each, and grandchildren receiving five shares each respectively; it will thus be seen that under such an arrangement the bulk of the land must pass into the possession of such of the owners as happen to have the largest number of children and grandchildren. The members of the Tuhoe Tribe allege that this basis of apportionment of interests was laid down as a fixed rule by the previous Commission, and adopted by them. If it should be rendered competent at some future period to amend the relative shares as now apportioned amongst all the owners within this Urewera District Native Reserve, it would then be possible to rearrange the said shares so as to be more in accordance with Maori custom. In all new lists of names which have been prepared and attached to the files of the several blocks mentioned in the foregoing reports, where amendment or variation of the original orders has been recommended to be made, the ages of the minors as entered in the said new lists are their ages this present vear, 1907. , Gilbert Mair. D. F. G. Barclay. Paratene Ngata. Wellington, 28th May, 1907.